Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-26

Parties will file claims on quarter section
of land, erect little SXl0 cabin out of a
few old boards, dig well eight feet deep,
whether they get water in 1t or not, break
up an acre or two with the pow, sleep in
the cabin two or three nights in month,
and at the end of the six months
apply for their deed. claiming that
they have fulfilled every condition for
securing the land. As they are will
ing 10 make affidavit that they have
settled on and improved the land, and a. N"
proof is brought to the contrary, the land is
generally decided to them without further
difficulty. know several young gentlemen
who have gone from Springfield 10 the west
and pre-empted quarter sections of land.
A trip to tn. west and six months of the
healthy outdoor life on the prairies will do
almost any young man good. II is remark
able that more parents do not pack their
sons OFF To the west to pre-empt quarter
sections 4 good farm of 100 acres is sure
to he worth SIS, 900 before the close of the
century. and now it can be had almost for
the asking.
General Keifer's western investments are
in Nebraska. in knuckloss county, near
Superior. This is i'll Southern Nebraska,
Warren keifer, jr.. is managing the ranch
and is meeting with great success. DIR. Rodg-
ers owns tract of several thousand acres of
land in Kansas. which is rapidly rising i'll
value. II all the western land which is
owned in Springfield was grouped into one
body. il is probable that there would be
enough TO start small empire.
To the speculator il is probable that agri-
cultural Land at = IN an acre offers the
surest investment Investment in town
lots and in acre property near growing
cities is more profitable. however, and offers
larger advance where lucky strike is
made. A certain Springfield gentleman
went to the west last year and followed
what seems TO be a very safe and sure plan
OF investing, with view to future riches.
He travelled through Kansas and Nebraska;
wherever he found a tiourishing town with
. chance of large future growth, he pur-
chased few lots. or several acres near II.
The amount invested in each case was not
large and his entire investment would not
reach $4,000 He said: "A few western
towns will reach a great size, the great
number of them will enjoy fair, steady
growth, few will fail to attain much
growth. In making my investments cal
culated by averages. Ii one town in three,
In which l have invested, attains good
size. and the remainder do not utterly fail,
my investments will pay a. whole. If
| had invested everything in one tow. there
would have been a risk of complete failure.
Now. am practically certain of success.
The great trouble about investing in
booming towns like Wichita and Others is
that as much mOpey is asked for property
In and near these cities as il will be worth
in the next ten years. Men will rush off To
the west and pay rs much per lot or acre
for land in some little western city which
IN all human pI liability will never attain
the size of Crbana, as they would pay for
lots in Springfield. There are some men 50
,hort-sighted that, other things equal. they
seem to give the preference to western i'll
vestment because it is in the west. This is
a grand mistake. 1t is good rule Tor a
man who desires 10 speculate in western
real estate never 10 give more than a third
OF half as much for western real estate aS
he would give for TIE same property in
Ohio. A successful Springf speculator
said: I'm buying in or near cities
the question OF the future growth of the
city should be closely studied. II you con-
template purchasing in western county
seat. pick out some county in ONO or Him
ois which corresponds in Siz. and character
to the county OF which the Kansas town Is
the county seat. You can then form a
rough guess as to the size the Kansas town
will attain. Next. consider those other
great feeders of ity-manufacturing and
cummercial-and consider what peculiar
advantages in this respect the town ENJOYS
and whether it is likely to become manu-
facturinp pr commercial center
A little study of statistics and the history
of the growth OF cities in your own state.
that you are familiar with, will enable you
to predict pretty accurat"l, what grown
the munIcIpsI CIlIld is likely to attain. The
size which will be attained by a county seat
which simply acts as the business center of
county of agricultural character. and
whose business gives II no special CONNER
cial or manufacturing advantages. can be
calculated almost to nicely. | believe a
very excellent work could he written on
'.Cityology, or the science of the growth of
cities"
Springfield is just al present enjoying a
solid, steady boom, which Is exceeded by
few of the western towns whose praises are
sung by the column in newspapers who are
well paid for the singing. Let the history
Of Springheld's advance in population and
Importance, and the advance in Springfield
real estate. be put in cold type. and it will
put TO shame the accounts OF the boOmS of
many western towns whose praises are her
aided all over the world. The
ohio State Journal has Just been
lecturing the business men of Column
bus on their lack of enterprise in not
booming their CITY on the wild west" plan.
A course of popular newspaper letters on
the same subject stirring up the citizens and
real estate owners Of Springfield also might
be good idea. There is boom enough and
evidence of quick growth enough in this
city to attract millions of money Ia Spring
field. if the facts were only brought To the
notice of the public all over the country.
In the west the citizens publish pamphlets
setting forth at length the history and
advantages OF their town, or pay for the
quadrupled editions of their local papers.
in which the story of the boom Is told
What magnificent story could be- based
on the last ten years of progress in Spring
field. Why is this story left untold TO the
nation?
The most noticeable thing in Ohio real
estate Just al present is the sale of lots and
land in the natural gas district in Fudlay.
Lima. and the rest of the towns. The
cincinnati papers are filed with advertise
ments of town lots in Findlay and options
on Finday real estate. Land is reported To
be rising at rapid rate and the blowing of
advertising horns is something wonderful
II is highly probable that the future of
Findlay as for cut d by the real estate
gent i little too rosy. Natural gas is a
new thing. Any day may bring report of
its exhGu ,tion. Then what But even
admitting that Northern Ohio contains in
supplies Of natural gas. there
can be- no doubt whatever that pipes will be
laid 10 supply it TO the whole state. In
this case every town would enjoy the ad-
yantages of natural gas and the various
towns would have pretty equal facilities
for the new fuel. If natural gas